Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales has been forced into a repeat primary runoff with far-right gun activist Brandon Herrera, CBS News projects, weeks after Gonzales was accused of having an affair with an aide who later died by suicide. Neither candidate is expected to clear the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff on May 26.
Gonzales, first elected in 2020 and long viewed as a moderate, narrowly beat Herrera by about 400 votes in a 2024 primary. Since then he has shifted rightward and highlighted an endorsement from former President Trump in this race, though Trump left Gonzales off an endorsements list on Friday.
The race was roiled after texts surfaced last month between Gonzales and former aide Regina Santos-Aviles, who died in September after setting herself on fire, according to Uvalde police. CBS News obtained the texts, which included messages in May 2024 in which Gonzales asked Santos-Aviles for a “sexy pic” and later said, “I’m just such a visual person” and “Sorry.” He also asked her what her “favorite position” was; after back-and-forth messages she wrote, “This is going too far boss,” and later, “This is too far, Tony.”
Gonzales has denied having an affair. He is married and has six children. Santos-Aviles was married and had an 8-year-old son. Members of both parties called for Gonzales to resign after the texts became public.
Texas’ 23rd Congressional District spans more than 800 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. Once considered a swing district, it was redrawn in 2021 to be more safely Republican, and Gonzales won reelection by more than 20 percentage points in 2024. After Texas’ 2025 redistricting, the district remains considered safely Republican. In this primary, the tight contest between Gonzales and Herrera has set the stage for a runoff that will determine the GOP nominee. Updated March 4, 2026.